Benchmark: Wired Women

Are woman-owned businesses more wired than most businesses in general? A survey conducted by the National Foundation for Women Business Owners (NFWBO) in conjunction with IBM suggests that they are. NFWBO director of research Julie Weeks says that with women starting businesses at twice the rate men are, their companies are likely to be younger than the average male-owned business. "Newer businesses know that to get ahead in today's marketplace, they have to use computers," she notes.

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Percentage of woman-owned businesses that use computers:

1990 88%

1992 92%

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Percentage of all small businesses* that use computers:

1991 56%

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*those with 50 employees or fewer Source: Surveys by the National Foundation for Women Business Owners, Washington, D.C., 1995, and IBM, White Plains, N.Y., 1991.